For a guy who once promised to put an end to politics as usual in Raleigh, Gov. Pat McCrory seems to be doing everything not only to protect the status quo, but to expand its reach.

So far, he has successfully pushed to increase the number of jobs that depend heavily on partisan loyalty rather than expertise, and more recently he has defended large pay increases for two former campaign staffers who got plum jobs in the Department of Health and Human Services.

McCrory attributed the increase in “at-will” jobs — those exempt from state personnel laws requiring just cause to fire the individual — to a need for greater flexibility at the state policy level. But it amounts to the same politics as usual that he and other Republicans rightly criticized recent Democratic administrations for perpetuating.

As governor, McCrory now oversees a record number of at-will positions, giving him the power to fire experienced professionals, leaving them no appeals process. This new “flexibility” also makes it easier to put political cronies in managerial and policy-making jobs, and employees in those positions are exempt from set pay ranges for state jobs.

A law approved by the General Assembly increased at-will positions to more than 1,500 — more than triple the 400 positions available to previous governors, dating all the way back to Republican Jim Martin. Many of those at-will jobs in DHHS and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Before Republicans took control of the General Assembly, 400 state jobs were considered at-will appointments. In 2012, the Honorables increased the number to 1,000 in anticipation of a McCrory victory in the lopsided governor’s race.

Even that wasn’t enough to satisfy McCrory, who asked that the number be increased to 1,500. His request was granted.

Although managers are supposed to have a bit more protection than those in policy-making positions — which naturally should be filled by people who can advance the governor’s agenda — the reality is that anyone who dares disagree will be in danger of losing his or her job, effectively turning professional positions into patronage appointments.

And last week, McCrory angered many state employees by defending his DHHS secretary’s decisions to promote a pair of former campaign staffers to high-profile jobs, complete with raises of more than $22,000 apiece. DHHS Secretary Aldona Wos hired former communications staffer Ricky Diaz to be DHHS communications director and Matthew McKillip as chief policy analyst.

It is not uncommon for politicians to hire members of their former campaign staffs for influential jobs in their administrations. The fact that Diaz and McKillip, both 24, beat out more experienced candidates does not speak to their qualifications; in both positions, loyalty to the governor and his agenda is a requirement.

But these promotions came with a pay raise of almost 35 percent for McKillip and 37 percent for Diaz, at the same time the governor was telling department heads to hold the line on raises.

Page 2 of 2 - Regardless of their qualifications or the considerable demands of their jobs, the notion that both young men received considerable pay boosts at a time when other state employees get no raise at all sends a very bad message: If you know the governor, you’re worth the money; if not, better luck next year.